Tibetan monk attempts protest suicide

LONDON, March 17 (UPI) -- A Tibetan monk was killed by police after setting himself on fire in Sichuan province, a Tibetan rights group claimed.

The International Campaign for Tibet said a 20-year-old monk set himself on fire as Tibetans marked the third anniversary of protests against China.

China's Xinhua news agency said the monk died after demonstrators blocked his access to a hospital, though the London rights group said he was beaten to death by police.

"According to the same sources, protests then broke out against the Chinese authorities involving hundreds of monks and laypeople," the Tibetan group said in a statement. "After an attempted peaceful march from the monastery, police broke up the protests, detaining an unknown number of monks and beating Tibetans involved."

China responded in March 2008 to a wave of protests with military force. The self-immolation is said to be the second since the 2008 demonstrations.

Tibetans are frustrated with growing Chinese influence. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama for stoking political unrest.

The Dalai Lama formally submitted his resignation Monday as Tibet's political leader to the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile in Dharamsala, India.

The Dalai Lama called on Tibetans to keep striving for autonomy from China, which has controlled Tibet for 52 years.